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[Agyar]

On a beer-related note, I think I am going to stock up on some ciders for Christmas. The latest issue of Beer and Brewer magazine did a feature on local and imported ciders and there seems to be some real gems, especially from NZ. The best cider I've had previously was Green Goblin, a British oak-aged cider. That will be hard to top.

 

[legend166]

It's not even as much of a problem as obesity is in this country.

But i also guess what you think "problem" means, is a portion of why it's worth discussing.

Funnily enough, those two problems are probably related.



Also Choc, it's a Toyota Corolla. 120000km service, but it's a minor one. Had the major service six months ago.

 

[Stackboy]

One fell swoop. Fell - as in "savage, vicious, evil and violent". It's Shakespeare. Why does everyone always get it wrong?

No, no. I meant what I said. It was foul, that shopping centre.

 

[Choc]

giri whilst i agree with your sentiments, innocent people are not losing eyes and being bashed up via obesity. A girl in ACT the other day got hit in the face with a thrown glass and she wasn't even involved in the cat fight that started it!

this is why its a newspaper issue

legend i know your man, will pm

 

[jambo]

Ban all glasses and beer from bars then.

If stories are anything to go by, it's no where near as bad as it used to be. My dad and his brothers used to tell me all these stories of getting in fights or seeing fights at bars when they were younger. It happened a lot. I've seen 2-3 in 4 years of going out.

 

[Stackboy]

I really like James Squire Golden Ale.

In West End, Brisbane there is an awesome bar called Archive. It sells nothing but Australian boutique beers. $6 a schooner is the typical cost. I really like White Rabbit and Stone and Wood.

 

[jambo]

I really like James Squire Golden Ale.

Good man. I love their Golden and Amber Ales.

Also Coopers Pale, Sparkling and Vintage Ales.

 

[giri]

giri whilst i agree with your sentiments, innocent people are not losing eyes and being bashed up via obesity. A girl in ACT the other day got hit in the face with a thrown glass and she wasn't even involved in the cat fight that started it!

this is why its a newspaper issue

legend i know your man, will pm

I also didn't say this doesn't happen, and it's an utter fucking tragedy. No really, it was/is a tragedy that someone got hurt. I can't even put my self in a position where i would say i could empathise with her to any degree that would do her justice.

But shit happens all the time in public. I've seen parents get into fist fights at childrens sporting events, where no alcohol was involved. And... i couldn't even count or get my head around the many situations that someone has completely ruined some other completely innocent bystanders life. That poor girl who had acid thrown in her face by an ex, ban love/dating/relationships?!?!?. Someone who contracted HIV from someone who didn't tell them prior to sex they had it, ban sex?!?!?!

To believe that Bars should be some utopia of human society isn't even thinking rationally. Going out in public in general is putting your self "at risk". I'm not saying this in some way that you should expet the same risk as if you went for a stroll on the gaza strip, how ever.

Oh and Legend, childhood obesity is a MASSIVE (no pun intended) problem in this country. And that isn't alcohol related. And obesity does cause many problems in regards to health, even the loss of limbs.

Thats why i'm relatively happy that (even though i think the aus version is trash) master chef has people thinking about food. And cooking more of their own food instead of buying pre-packaged stuff all the time.

 

[Bernbaum]

Advice time.

I'm home sick, tomorrow is Secret Santa day, and I don't think I'll be making it into work to give my gift.

Do I:

a) do nothing. I'm sick, they'll understand.
b) email my Secret Santa recipient and tell them I'll get them something later.
c) email the office PA and get her to buy a present and wrap it in my stead, so when everyone shows up for pressies, my recipient walks away none the wiser.

 

[Omikron]

Advice time.

I'm home sick, tomorrow is Secret Santa day, and I don't think I'll be making it into work to give my gift.

Do I:

a) do nothing. I'm sick, they'll understand.
b) email my Secret Santa recipient and tell them I'll get them something later.
c) email the office PA and get her to buy a present and wrap it in my stead, so when everyone shows up for pressies, my recipient walks away none the wiser.

Def (c).

Speaking of which, gotta sort mine before Friday. What the hell to do, got one of the office n00bs. :lol

 

[legend166]

I was joking about the obesity/alcohol thing. But you can't compare them, really.


But there is clearly a problem with binge drinking amongst young people in this country. It starts around the age of 15-16. The MO of teenagers that age is to find a way to get drunk every weekend. This is not healthy. The Australian culture promotes this. A lot of other countries seemed to develop a culture of drinking which doesn't lead to getting sloshed. Australia needs to do this, but it's going to take a generation to change.

The amount of times I had people speak to me in a completely condescending manner as a teenager because I wasn't getting completely drunk was astounding (and completely annoying. Having some dead beat moron who left school at 16 to become a labourer treat you like a kid is very grating. Heck, even the parents of my friends when I went to parties acted the same way). Getting off your face is considered the 'mature' act and being able to control yourself is considered immature. As a society we've got it the wrong way around. This is a pretty good article from some 19 year old in the Herald that basically sums up my views:

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/socie...ralia-and-im-an-alcoholic-20100826-13tqi.html

Earlier this year, the federal government introduced a series of measures in an attempt to further discourage tobacco smoking — raising taxes and a move to plain packaging. Although almost certainly a positive step towards improving the overall health of the country, it highlights a double standard inherent in Australian society.

As governments try to stamp out smoking, the most dangerous drug prevalent in Australian culture, alcohol, is considered a staple of our national identity. Research released this week shows that alcohol abuse is costing Australians $36 billion a year.

We have created a culture where young people who do not get drunk and party hard on a regular basis are considered abnormal. How do I know this? I'm a 19-year-old who regularly sees my peers getting drunk and viewing it as some sort of rite of passage. I see others my age who consider getting drunk the only means of having fun. I'm up against a social expectation that assumes I regularly partake in binge-drinking events.
Advertisement: Story continues below

Society has largely turned a blind eye to the huge increase in underage drinking, particularly among younger teenagers (16 and under), despite government campaigns to warn of the dangers such as alcohol-fuelled violence and damage to mental development.

While it's true that there have been numerous campaigns targeting drink driving and underage drinking, these have ultimately proved ineffective in changing the way we drink (this is more true for the latter, some progress has been made with the former).

Those of us not keen on this excessive drinking culture are constantly being pressured to drink, and we are labelled boring or immature when we don't partake. Having only started drinking in the past two years, there was a long period where people my age would comment "oh how you're growing up", implying that drinking somehow makes me more mature. And even now that I do drink I am considered strange for doing so in relative moderation, having only been drunk on a small number of occasions.

Many are surprised that I drink not to get drunk, but because I actually enjoy the taste of certain drinks. I'm considered abnormal for not wanting to go out to excessively loud venues, spend hundreds of dollars in one evening, and not even remember the events that took place.

It would be unfair to suggest everyone my age drinks to excess, but at the same time more young people are unaware of the extent to which they drink and the damage it causes.

But I'm not revealing anything new here. What is surprising is the extent to which adults behave in a similar manner. Parents who happily buy alcohol for their children or condone its use. Adults who accept that children drink and that is it simply a part of growing up.

Because we accept drinking as an integral part of our national identity and culture, society has normalised and continues to legitimise binge drinking. Of course, it's unreasonable to suggest prohibition or similar policy as a solution, nor would it realistically solve the problem.

However, significant improvements can be made if Australia changes its drinking culture. A huge chunk of that $36 billion could be saved in health costs as well as out-of-pocket expenses. To make this change, Australians needs to drop this sense that heavy drinking is a part of our identity. Admittedly Australia is not the only country with heavy drinking inherent in its national identity, but by that count, we are not the only country with a problem and one evil does not beget another.

Fixing the problem is not easy. The first step, however, is to admit there is a problem.

Joshua Blake is a Bachelor of Arts student at the University of Queensland.

Here's the article about the cost of alcohol misuse: http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-...suse-costs-australia-36bn-20100824-13kov.html

The problem is we live in a country which has government funded health care (which is good). But I bet if people were hit with a bill for a few hundred dollars because they got drunk and hit their head and had to be taken to the emergency room.

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

Advice time.

I'm home sick, tomorrow is Secret Santa day, and I don't think I'll be making it into work to give my gift.

Do I:

a) do nothing. I'm sick, they'll understand.
b) email my Secret Santa recipient and tell them I'll get them something later.
c) email the office PA and get her to buy a present and wrap it in my stead, so when everyone shows up for pressies, my recipient walks away none the wiser.

Do c). Maybe get her bank account details and transfer her the money too.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

that guy sound so boring

 

[codswallop]

Advice time.

I'm home sick, tomorrow is Secret Santa day, and I don't think I'll be making it into work to give my gift.

Do I:

a) do nothing. I'm sick, they'll understand.
b) email my Secret Santa recipient and tell them I'll get them something later.
c) email the office PA and get her to buy a present and wrap it in my stead, so when everyone shows up for pressies, my recipient walks away none the wiser.

Yeah, c).

For my office Secret Santa I never got my gift recipient though apparently an envelope was left on my desk. Generic gift for random person it is!

But there is clearly a problem with binge drinking amongst young people in this country. It starts around the age of 15-16. The MO of teenagers that age is to find a way to get drunk every weekend. This is not healthy. The Australian culture promotes this. A lot of other countries seemed to develop a culture of drinking which doesn't lead to getting sloshed. Australia needs to do this, but it's going to take a generation to change.

This depends on a lot of factors though. There's a history of heavy alcohol abuse in my extended family (though not my immediate family), and a lot of my friends had either alcoholic parents or parents who drank very heavily. Not surprising then that I managed to get shitfaced quite a lot in my younger years.

But, I've seen a lot of younger responsible people whose parents managed to teach them at a young age to respect alcohol and understand their limits. If people are taught how to be responsible, they'll generally be responsible. Unless of course they give in to their peers.

 

[Clipper]

Yay, got this from the post office this morning:

I can't wait to try it out. I also never noticed from the descriptions that the Mickey figurine was posable...

I think I might just use that Wiimote skin too. Not the Wii skin, though.

 

[legend166]

I thought Amazon changed their policy on shipping video games internationally?

I'm trying to buy Demon's Souls for $15 but it won't ship here D:

 

[jambo]

Taken with an iPhone 4?

 

[Bernbaum]

Emailed my agent in the office and she's ready and willing.

Thanks AusGAF, you've saved Christmas.

 

[Omikron]

I thought Amazon changed their policy on shipping video games internationally?

I'm trying to buy Demon's Souls for $15 but it won't ship here D:

Think it depends on the publisher... I got Civ V Collectors from Amazon.

Emailed my agent in the office and she's ready and willing.

Thanks AusGAF, you've saved Christmas.

We are SO helpful.

Now what to get for my secret santa gift! dammit.

 

[giri]

I was joking about the obesity/alcohol thing. But you can't compare them, really.


But there is clearly a problem with binge drinking amongst young people in this country. It starts around the age of 15-16. The MO of teenagers that age is to find a way to get drunk every weekend. This is not healthy. The Australian culture promotes this. A lot of other countries seemed to develop a culture of drinking which doesn't lead to getting sloshed. Australia needs to do this, but it's going to take a generation to change.

The amount of times I had people speak to me in a completely condescending manner as a teenager because I wasn't getting completely drunk was astounding (and completely annoying. Having some dead beat moron who left school at 16 to become a labourer treat you like a kid is very grating. Heck, even the parents of my friends when I went to parties acted the same way). Getting off your face is considered the 'mature' act and being able to control yourself is considered immature. As a society we've got it the wrong way around. This is a pretty good article from some 19 year old in the Herald that basically sums up my views:

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/socie...ralia-and-im-an-alcoholic-20100826-13tqi.html




Here's the article about the cost of alcohol misuse: http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-...suse-costs-australia-36bn-20100824-13kov.html

The problem is we live in a country which has government funded health care (which is good). But I bet if people were hit with a bill for a few hundred dollars because they got drunk and hit their head and had to be taken to the emergency room.

I've read his article before, and can honestly say that many people in my social circle growing up, and now, chose not to drink, or not to excess. And at no point did we in anyway systematically view them as less fun, ridicule them for it, or consider them immature. I honestly don't hear people talking about it in that fashion. I can't relate to his experience at all. And i have spent many nights in clubs completely sober and had a blast. Maybe he needs better friends. And he comes off as very jaded.

To say its a right of passage... it is to an extent. Turning 18 in this country allows you to drink, if it's your choice to drink then your 18th bday, having your first legal drnik is part of that experience. It wouldn't matter what age you put on it, that age would see it as a right of passage, if that person chose to drink. It's the same as saying at 17, getting your license is a right of passage, but paint it in a negative light because of greenhouse emissions. Or to have your first bet.

I'll never claim that drinking is healthy. But most consumed luxuries aren't exactly boons to your health. Even the humble apple pie in a short crust pastry has ridiculous amounts of sugar in it.

 

[jambo]

I thought Amazon changed their policy on shipping video games internationally?

I'm trying to buy Demon's Souls for $15 but it won't ship here D:

Depends on the seller. Try a few different ones.

 

[Clipper]

Taken with an iPhone 4?

Yes, and then scaled down with Photobucket. I'm interested to know how you could tell... was it the filenames? I thought I might have left the details in the meta data, but it looks to me that Photobucket removed it during the resize.

I thought Amazon changed their policy on shipping video games internationally?

I'm trying to buy Demon's Souls for $15 but it won't ship here D:

It seems to be separated by publisher between what they will ship and what they won't. Nintendo games never work and I also couldn't get them to ship Enslaved. The Sly Collection and Epic Mickey shipped to Australia just fine, though.

Edit: As jambo says, you can also try other sellers, but you pay the base shipping fee for each extra seller, so it becomes annoying to do that quite quickly.

 

[Omikron]

@Clipper.... from the metadata available using Opera...

Image input equipment manufacturer: Apple
Image input equipment model: iPhone 4

 

[jambo]

Yes, and then scaled down with Photobucket. I'm interested to know how you could tell... was it the filenames? I thought I might have left the details in the meta data, but it looks to me that Photobucket removed it during the resize.

Blue/green tint in the middle of each photo appears when you take a photo with an iPhone 4 under fluorescent lights indoors.

 

[Choc]

i want to like epic mickey (havent played it yet) but so many people ragging shit on it that i cant bring myself to pick it up ;_;

also

legend when you go to europe you will see just how much of a obesity problem we have

especially continental europe, everyone is fit as fuck

 

[jambo]

I don't think France has ANY fat people.

 

[Clipper]

@Clipper.... from the metadata available using Opera...

Ah, I see now that the second pic includes it. I used a slightly different method to resize that one and it didn't delete the meta data like it did for the first (which was the only one I checked).

Blue/green tint in the middle of each photo appears when you take a photo with an iPhone 4 under fluorescent lights indoors.

I thought there must be something else about it. Unfortunately, now I can't unsee it! Curse you... :lol

I don't think France has ANY fat people.

I know there's a few technicalities that make that not really a counter-argument, but I couldn't resist.

 

[evlcookie]

Oh god i feel like a hot fudge sunday from maccas, chocolate of course. God help me, /cry.

 

[jambo]

Oh god i feel like a hot fudge sunday from maccas, chocolate of course. God help me, /cry.

God damn you now I want one...

 

[Choc]

staring at excel figures and graphs makes me want a fucking sundae as well

 

[Kritz]

Report for today:

Emailled a few people who appeared in the Gawker list to change their password.
Got an xmas card from the school I'm at with signatures / notes from everyone with a gift voucher to Sanity. (It's my last day at this school)
Ate some free cake
Talked over workplace IM with another guy who's leaving this week. Continued for about 5 hours. Conversation has likely been flagged due to length and language used. Let's see if we get in trouble for it before we leave.
Found one of those colourful plastic things that you make pictures out of and then run a hot iron over them. I made a megaman sprite out of them. Couldn't find the iron though

still 4.5 hours left in the day.

 

[evlcookie]

Kritz, When do you officially no longer have a job? And when is uni starting for you next year?

Oh god brain freeze. Arghh

 

[legend166]

Kritz not having something to keep him busy for 8 hours in the day is probably a bad thing for Tasmania.

 

[jambo]

Gonna be interesting for you Kritz, going from that work load to Uni study!

 

[Choc]

siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Mr Barnett said Mr Porter's role as Attorney-General was likely to be "lesser" for the remainder of the government's term, as most of the law-and-order agenda had been implemented.

WA shuffled its cabinet

didn't appoint new AG, gave current one treasury as well

good luck with R18 guys, he's going to be busy managing money to go to the SCAG meetings, guaranfuckingtee it

 

[Kritz]

I accidentally spilled all the beads on the floor D:

 

[Gazunta]

Tired. Cranky. Need a grandpa nap.

 

[Shaneus]

I accidentally spilled all the beads on the floor D:

Bees?

 

[Kritz]

Kritz, When do you officially no longer have a job? And when is uni starting for you next year?

Oh god brain freeze. Arghh

On the 17th, aka this friday. Uni starts... dunno. March?

And... yeah. The transition from "work" to "learning" worries me.

 

[Kritz]

Beads!

 

[Fredescu]

Bees?

 

[Choc]

^^ Sydney Opera House this morning

 

[Shaneus]

Conan (I'm assuming, the image url is blocked here :/) and AD references within a few posts. Win!

 

[legend166]

I ALWAYS use the Arrested Development 'Beads. Bees? BEADS! BEADS?!" line whenever someone says beads. The best thing is, they don't even know I'm making a reference or anything.


Ahh, life's little pleasures.

 

[Fredescu]

How many times do people say beads in general conversation with you?

Now I'm picturing legend166 going down the the north shore arts and crafts fair every weekend, going from stall to stall asking "what are these?" "oh, they're beads"

 

[pilonv1]

siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Mr Barnett said Mr Porter's role as Attorney-General was likely to be "lesser" for the remainder of the government's term, as most of the law-and-order agenda had been implemented.

WA shuffled its cabinet

didn't appoint new AG, gave current one treasury as well

good luck with R18 guys, he's going to be busy managing money to go to the SCAG meetings, guaranfuckingtee it

That's ok, the SA AG wants to get rid of MA15+

http://au.gamespot.com/pages/news/story.php?sid=6285360

Spoiler

not as bad as it sounds

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

Hey guys!

Free donuts (you get 6):

http://www.freekrispykremes.com.au/

All you need is a valid email address.

 

[Bernbaum]

That's ok, the SA AG wants to get rid of MA15+

http://au.gamespot.com/pages/news/story.php?sid=6285360

Spoiler

not as bad as it sounds

So effectively G, PG, M and R. I guess it's an issue of granularity- the M rating is still only a suggestion for parents and has no legal restrictions at the sales counter.

 

[hamchan]

Screw the kiddies, make everything 18+.

 

[evlcookie]

Hey guys!

Free donuts (you get 6):

http://www.freekrispykremes.com.au/

All you need is a valid email address.

They are krispykremes, so not that good. And this - Offer limited to the first 10,000 customers and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount. The voucher must be redeemed and surrendered instore.

I wonder how long that will take to run out.